BLOODSHED IN UKRAINE

PUTIN ON A BRAVE FACE

'American spies' in the heart of the Kremlin leaked details of Russia's hacking of the US election

'bring the ring'

Donald Trump 'to ask Putin for the Superbowl ring' he 'borrowed' from his tycoon pal 12 years ago

meeting of minds

Russian Premier Vladimir Putin is 'ready' for face-to-face with new US President Donald Trump

COLD WAR-STYLE SPENDING

Trump orders massive £4bn investment in US navy fleet amid fears of war with China and Russia

Trading blows

Close adviser to Donald Trump vows US would win devastating trade war with China

'CHILD'S PLAY'

China mocks ‘childish’ Trump and says he has no idea 'how to lead superpower'

When a conflict does arise, Kagan warned the "cost of that descent, in lives and treasure, in lost freedoms and lost hope, will be staggering".

He used the examples of Napoleonic France, the newly-united Germany and Hitler's Nazis as examples of powerful rising nations taking on the established power - in those cases Britain - to devastating effect.